Bristol Bears are nursing a trio of forward stars back to full health for the run-in to the Gallagher Premiership after a bruising block of games, Pat Lam has confirmed.

Bill Mata, Harry Thacker and James Dun will all miss Friday night’s trip to Bedford Blues in the Premiership Rugby Cup having slipped onto the club’s unavailable list in recent weeks which was up to a crippling 21 players last weekend due to international call-ups as well as injuries. Fijian international number eight Mata has a pectoral injury, hooker Harry Thacker has hurt his knee and back five forward James Dun is nursing a shoulder issue.

Providing an injury update to Bristol Live, Bristol director of rugby Lam said: “Harry Thacker made 20 tackles in 18 minutes against Clermont. In the last one he twisted his knee, which is why he was on crutches after the game and then a moon boot. He is coming back from that and is probably still two or three weeks away.

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“Bill Mata had a strain in his pec muscle. He probably could play if this was a final but I would rather get him right. I could see after some of his tackles against Newcastle he was feeling his chest a bit. He is a great example of someone I need in the run-in and we want to get him right, but we will have a look at him for Bath.

“James Dun is rehabilitating his shoulder. He is just a legend. Probably the last four or five games he has needed a break because of that shoulder so he is one we have targeted using this period to rebuild him for the run-in because he is having a phenomenal season and we are going to need him. He brings big physicality to our side.”

In the backline Bristol look likely to travel to Goldington Road without on loan Irish international fly-half Harry Byrne who was removed just before half time in Saturday’s 74-14 win away at Ampthill to move the Bears into the final qualifying spots for the knockout rounds of the Premiership Rugby Cup.

Lam explained: “He had a tightness in his quad but he is not too bad. I think Harry has probably played more rugby in his month with us than he has for a long time, so we are just managing him. It is good to have Harry Bazalgette in here (on loan from Hartpury) to take a bit of that pressure off because we obviously have AJ MacGinty, James Williams and Sam Worsley still out.

“This is a good window to get Harry Byrne up to speed and we can’t take any risks because of those other guys being unavailable.”

Discussing the squad he has selected to face Bedford Blues, who were beaten 43-26 away at Bath last weekend but secured an attacking bonus point, and sit second in the Championship, Lam said: “We are taking a squad of a mixture of experienced players but more youngsters as well. We have to balance the rest players’ need. Some player’s minutes are really high. The team we are selecting should be good enough, if we do our jobs, to win the game. But we saw what Bedford did last weekend against Bath and if you allow them to play they can cause you all sorts of trouble.”